Rudy Giuliani accuses Bill de Blasio of 'destroying' his city
NEW YORK - Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Republican, has been an outspoken critic of current Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat. Giuliani has called de Blasio the worst mayor in the history of New York City and refers to him as "Bill Dodo" and "Mayor Dodo."
Giuliani is now President Trump's personal attorney. He gave a wide-ranging interview to FOX 5's Rosanna Scotto on Good Day New York on Friday, saying de Blasio is "ruining" the city.
"Now he's consistently doing horrible things and destroying my city," Giuliani said. "He's ruining it all, he's doing it in a flash of an eye."
Giuliani previously attacked New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza saying he "belongs in Cuba." That comment drew complaints that it was racist. In the interview with Scotto, Giuliani said his comments about the Arizona-born Carranza, who has Mexican heritage, had nothing to do with race. He said he was blasting the chancellor's politics and how he runs the school system.
"Cuba is Cuba and Mexico is Mexico. He can go to Venezuela if he wants," Giuliani said. "There's nothing wrong with saying somebody should go to a communist country if they act like an over-the-top socialist who wants to do away with grades, do away with exams."
The former mayor accused Carranza, without offering specific evidence, of imposing a "communist idealogy" on the school system.
"He doesn't teach American history," Giuliani claimed. "He doesn't teach subjects properly."
In the interview, Giuliani claimed that the current administration is wiping out all of the anti-crime gains made during the Bloomberg administration and is now threatening the gains he made during his years in office.
De Blasio has responded to Giuliani's comments by saying the Republican has become "unhinged" and has "amnesia." Giuliani laughed off that comment in his interview on Good Day New York.
"Would you like to test my memory? I think my mind works a lot faster than his," Giuliani told Scotto, whom he appeared to call "Maria" several times during the interview. "When I see him coming in an hour to an hour-and-a-half late coming to a press conference, kind of looking foggy and smoky, I think my mind works a lot faster than Bill Dodo."
Giuliani said that New York City was better off under his leadership and that de Blasio "wouldn't have the city he has if it wasn't for me"
"The only reason New York isn't Chicago is because I was mayor," Giuliani said. "Otherwise it would be as terrible a crime-ridden city as Chicago, who didn't get a break from these corrupt Democratic mayors."
Scotto asked Giuliani about the new federal fraud charges being brought against his former associate Lev Parnas. Prosecutors have accused Parnas of duping investors in a company called Fraud Guarantee. Giuliani said he has no connection to the case and he did "nothing wrong." He implied that the articles about Parnas and the charges only surfaced after Giuliani became Trump's defender.
"You make mistakes in judgment in some of the people you deal with. But I don't violate the law," Giuliani said. "I make sure I don't."
Here are excerpts from the interview:
SCOTTO: A lot of people are very concerned about what's going on here in New york City with the homeless situation, with the crime situation. How do we get back on track?
GIULIANI: During the Bloomberg administration I never criticized. No reason to really, Mike did a very good job. There were things I disagreed with. We have a different political philosophy. He is more liberal and I'm more conservative.
During Mayor de Blasio's administration, I only criticized what when he really did horrible things, he did a couple horrible things. Now he's consistently doing horrible things and destroying my city. He's ruining it all, he's doing it in a flash of an eye. I know crime statistics better than anyone. The crime is increasing at monthly rates at historic numbers. It has never gone up this fast. Right now, he's taking away all of Bloomberg's gains and he's about to take mine.
He also handled the pandemic so ridiculously and it was too much of a crisis to get involved. A month and a half in it and he was telling people to go to public places. How many people died as a result of his bad advice and horrible management? He never made use of 1,000 beds just because they were sent by a Republican president?
SCOTTO: You said something the other day about the schools chancellor [Richard Carranza] because I believe you are not a fan. you said something about that "He should go to Cuba." A lot of people interpreted that, that you didn't realize he was Mexican American.
GIULIANI: So what? What does that have to do with Cuba? Cuba is Cuba and Mexico is Mexico. He can go to Venezuela if he wants. This is getting ridiculous. They accuse me of being a racist for saying that. First of all, the ignorant idiots don't realize when you talk about somebody being Cuban or Mexican, it's not a race. It's nationality. Whatever I was, I wasn't racist. I know they don't teach English much anymore in New York City public schools but there is a distinction in the definition between the two.
Second, there's nothing wrong with saying somebody should go to a communist country if they act like an over-the-top socialist who wants to do away with grades, do away with exams. For example, he wants to just put people in Stuyvesant High School. At one point, he said it was "white privilege." Doesn't he realize the majority in Stuyvesant High school is Asian? People who think like that and talk like that—they are the racists. They are the racists. When you think of, "It's gotta be 70% this, 30% that, 10% this, 2% that," that's a racist—that's a person that thinks racial identity, not human merit. Horrible, horrible chancellor. He's making our school systems into some kind of a demonstration of far-left or communist ideology. He should be ashamed of himself. He should definitely go to Cuba.
SCOTTO: Mayor de Blasio said that you have amnesia. That when you did that press conference the other day, blasting him and blasting all the things going on in New York City, he said you have amnesia.
GIULIANI: I have amnesia? Would you like to test my memory? I think my mind works a lot faster than his. When I see him coming in an hour to an hour-and-a-half late coming to a press conference, kind of looking foggy and smoky, I think my mind works a lot faster than Bill Dodo.
The city was in incredibly better shape when I was mayor. Homeless people weren't dying on the streets. I wrote an op-ed at least three years ago saying this man doesn't love people—he lets them wither away on the streets.
He wouldn't have the city he has if it wasn't for me. If it wasn't for the fact that I took on the corrupt Democratic machine that was here for years. The only reason New York isn't Chicago is because I was mayor. Otherwise, it would be as terrible a crime-ridden city as Chicago, who didn't get a break from these corrupt Democratic mayors.
SCOTTO: Lev Parnas, an associate of yours, has new charges against, fraud charges against him. Are you concerned?
GIULIANI: I have nothing to do with him, I did nothing wrong. All of that, all of those articles and all of that started when I started to be extremely successful at defending President Trump. They developed all kinds of charges and innuendos and articles and went over all my clients and they've accused me of everything you could possibly accuse me of and they haven't found anything wrong.
I think most people in New York understand I was the U.S. attorney here, a prosecutor for 17 years, I do things legally. They can look all they want. There are people that I represent at times—I do criminal defense work—that arguably did bad things. You make mistakes in judgment in some of the people you deal with. But I don't violate the law. I make sure I don't.
SCOTTO: There are rumors your son, Andrew, wants to run for mayor of New York City. Would you support his candidacy?
GIULIANI: Would I support my son? Of course I would support my son for anything he wants to do. We would have to talk it out.
SCOTTO: Do you think he's ready to be mayor of New York City?
GIULIANI: I'm not going to comment on that right now. It's way too premature. I'm not going to start thinking about the mayoralty until the day after we secure the United States and make sure it doesn't go in the direction of socialism, communism. That America doesn't become like de Blasio's New York or like Chicago.